CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – The provincial government on Thursday, July 29, held the groundbreaking ceremony for the heritage and cultural center in Barangay Del Mundo, Mansalay that will showcase the unique and rich culture of Mangyan indigenous people.
Oriental Mindoro Gov. Bonz Dolor said the center will also serve as livelihood site for the tribal people where tourists, both local and foreign, can personally witness the handicraft-making of the Mangyans as well as their rendition of their original music and poems.
Dolor said the center is funded by P15 million from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and additional funding from the office of House Deputy Speaker Rep. Loren Legarda of Antique who formerly chaired the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities.
Dhon Calda, provincial tourism office chief, said the new center will complement the P60-million heritage museum being constructed here that will also demonstrate the province’s unique history and rich culture dating back to pre-Hispanic time.
Loren said in her online message during the event that she fully supports the project since cultural preservation is part of her advocacy.
Dolor thanked the Sucgang family of Mansalay for donating a one-hectare property for the center. It is located in a hilly and picturesque area in Barangay Del Mundo overlooking Mansalay Bay in the east and a vast mountainous area in the west.